Wexford County, the Wexford County Landfill and the Wexford Department of Public Works alleging that improper waste disposal led to the contamination of the area’s groundwater and more than $1 million in property damage. According to the Cadillac Times, the lawsuit seeks more than $25,000 in damages, as well as court and legal costs.

County officials say the lawsuit will distract from their efforts to confront the problem, including providing bottled water and digging deeper wells in the short term, and long term plans to build a municipal water supply for affected residents.